Self-inflating float.



F. C. FOSTER.

SELF INFLATING E LOAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.28,191?- 1 k? UQI Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

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Application filed March 28, 1917.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known thatl, FEELING C. Fos'rnn, a citizen of the United States residingat Chicago, inthe countyof Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a certain new and 1 useful'lmprovementin Self-Ini iating Floats,

ot collapsible floating bag or balloon which bit in all :the: figures.

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toimprovementsin life savers and the like, and has: forlone object to provide anew and improved form will automatically. fill with gaslunder, sulficientpressure to distend is as soon as it becomes immersed in the water. Other objects of myinvention will appear from time to time in the specification.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically drawings, wherein Flgure l 's a side elevation showing parts a in section;

Fig. 2 is a section through a partof the automatic inflating device;

llig. 3

along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4% of j v I 5 [is a sectional view of one end of a modifiedformof water tube.

Like parts are indicated by like letters A is acanvas cover; Itcontains a rubber air-tight vbag A adapted to be inserted 1nto the canvas cover thnoughthe slit A closed by lacing This canvas cover is proneckAiof the bag. t

1B is a. rigid metallic chamber. B is a metallic inflating tube contained within the 7 parts A ,;A It has an enlarged head 13*,

which head is located within the bag adjacent therneck. B is a .metallic ring surrounding the member B integral wlth a sllt sleeve Btwhich slit sleeve is held closed by wrapping B The member 13 is screwed tight into the member 13 clamping the.

parts together to hold the inflating device on the bag as shown. C is a snap lioolc fastened to the band B wherebygany load,

may be attached to the fioat inzanyyway which may beappropriate. a

. The cylinderor tube 13 1s open at 5 both ends and is adapted to containa supply of material which forms gas when in contact withwater such as car-bid so that acetylene s e. s ay b f e ime ;T e e d Ofth r Specification of Letters Patent.

in the accompanying is a sectionon an enlarged scale snnnmrnnrlne FLOAT.

Patented New 217,191? Serial No. 153.104.

through theperl'orations wettingthe blotting paper and. elothmand thusnpassing through to wet the carbid. As. soonas the .carbid becomes Wet gas will be generated and this will compress the blotting paper andcloth into the openings and more or less etl'ectually prevent the escape of the gas.

;It will also,however, prevent the ingress of any water and so separate. means must be provided to continue the moistening of the carbid to form the gas. These means take the form of a tube E which contains water. This tube E is open at both ends. It is providedat each end with. a plug E This plug is slotted as 'atE so that the water maypass out. It will be noted that the plug is provided adjacent its outer periphery with. an annular groove E andthe ends of the tube are upset as E. E is aavaxed or paratlin plug which is poured into the space betweenthe upset end of the tube and the plug and which. penetrates more or less into the slots and into the .annular ring so as. to make a suflieiently watertight joint thus closing the water up inside the tube. The small amount of water which enters the main receptacle from either end when it is first immersed which inaugurates the formation of the gas will cause the genera tion ofsutfieient heat inside the chamber to meltthe wax or parafiin plug and to permit the water to run outifromthe tube into the chamber. water to complete the gasification and this gas which is formed in this brass or metallic chamber will rush out into thebag and inflate it. This action takesplace almost immediately since there is an excess of water present and the balloonwill be inflated almost as soon asitreaches the water so thatit will instantly commence to operate as a life saver or float or support for any objects which may be attached thereto.

It will be evident that while I have shown in my drawings an operative device, still many changes might be made both in size, shape andarrangement of parts without departing materially from the spiritof my invention and I wisln therefore thatniydrawingsbe regarded as in a sense diagrammatic.

This will furnish sufficient hang onto them.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows p I These devlces are maintained on the boat folded up in position foruse readyloaded;

loads in the water, it beingnecessary to, provide means only for-fastening the hooks so that such loads could be supported.

In 'themodifled form it will be noted that the metallic plug in the water cham her is omitted. The end of the water ehamberlisgmerely upset and crimped and the wax lplug is poured in'there. When this melts', of course, the water will beable to rush out even'more freely than if the metallic fillingwas used.

Obviously the apparatus which I have de-' scribed carries out'a peculiar and novel *process, wherein the fuel is first treated or 'vided owing to the increase of temperature,

actedupon by water and then by the pressure-of the fuel the supply of water from outside is out off and'an additional supply' of fluid from elsewhere is subsequently pro- I claim: 1. A collapsible float comprising a gastight' bag and a protectingcovering there for, a gas generator permanently attached thereto and in communication therewith,

comprising a. rigid chamber having an opening removed from theconnection to the gas-tight bag, a perforate closure for said opening, an absorbent plug in said closure, and means for holding such plug in position in register with the perforations in the closure,'a'flu1d' contalner located w thin thegenerator, fuel contained within the gen orator surrounding-such fluid container, and 7 means for closing the fluid container said means adapted to melt when a predetermined degree"-Of temperature has been reached within such fuel for opening the fluid container.

2; A collapsible float comprising a gastight'bag and a protecting covering there'- for, ages generator permanently attached thereto-and in communication therewith, comprising a' rigid chamber having an opening removedfrom the connection to the gastight bag, a perforate closure for said open- 1ng,an absorbent plug in said closure, and

' means for holding such plug-in position in register with the perforations in'the'closure, afluid'container located within the generator," fuel contained within the generator surround-ing such fluid container, and means for closing the fluid container said means adapted to melt when .a predetermined degree'of temperature has been reached Wlthin such fuel for opening the fluid container,

thetabsorbent plug comprising a mass of yieldingsoftf material adapted when mois-i tended to expand and adapted tobe'wedged" tight into the perforations in the closure to close them when the pressureof the gas generated by the fuel' brought iircontact with the molst" inner side exceeds ac'erta in predetermined polnt,

,3. A collapsible floatf comprising ai gastight bag and a protecting covering therefor,

a gas generator permanently attached there to and in communlcatlon therewith com prislng a rigid chamber having an open ng removed from the connection to the tightbag', 'a perforate closure for said open-- ing, an absorbent plug in said closure and means for holding such plug in position in register with the perforations'in theclosure,

a fluid container located within thegenerator, fuel contained within the generator surrounding such fluid container, and means for closing thefluid container said means adapted to melt when a predetermined degree oftemperature has been reached within such fuel for opening the fluid container.

4:. A collapsible float comprising a gastight bag and a protecting covering therefor, a gas generator permanently attached thereto and 1n communication therewith, comprlsmg a rigidichamberhaving an open ing removed fromthe connection tOfthe astight bag. a perforate closure for said opening, an absorbent plug in said closure, and means for holding such' plug'in position in register with the perforations in the closure, a fluid container located within the genera tor, fuel contained within the generator surrounding such fluid container, and means for closing the fluid contamer'sa'id means 7 adapted to melt when apredetermined de gree of temperature'has been reached with in such fuel for opening the fluid container,

a metallic packing for such plugperforated to ermit; egress of the water.

5. A; collapsible float comprising-a gas tight bag and a protecting covering there-- for', a gas generator permanently attached thereto and in communicationtherewith,

comprising a rigid chamber having an opening removed from the connection to the gastight bag, a perforate closure for said open-' a 'fluid container located within the generator, fuel contained w-ithin-the-generator sur rounding Jsuch ffluid container,- and means for closing the fluid container said means adapted toimeltwhen a predetermined dei V gree of temperature. has been reached within such fuel for opening the'fluid containcrglw u an absorbent plug 1n said closure, and means for holdmg such plug in position in. reglster with tllGIIMBIfOI'ZLtlOHS in the closure,

V the fluid.

there being a plurality of openings into said fluid container adapted to be simultaneously opened so as to permit free circulation of 6. A collapsible float comprising a gastight bag and a protecting covering therefor, a gas generator permanently attached thereto and in communication therewith, comprising a. rigid chamber having an opening removed from the connection to the gas tight bag, a perforate closure for said opening an absorbent plug in said closure, and means for holding such plug in position in re ister with the perforations in the closure, .1 fluid container located Within the generae tor, fuel contained Within the generator surrounding such fluid container, and means for closing the fluid container said means adapted to melt when a predetermined degree of temperature has been reached Within such fuel for opening the fluid container, a metallic packing perforated to permit egress of the Water, there being a plurality of openings into said fluid container adapted to be simultaneously opened so as to permit free circulation of the fluid. i

7.1ico1lapsible float comprising a gastight bag, a generator permanently attached thereto responsive to the immersion of the generator in Water for generating a gas to fill the bag and means for cutting oft the exit of the gas from the generator, and separate means for continuing the generation of gas after the opening has been closed.

8. A collapsible float comprising a gastight bag, a generator permanently connected thereto, means responsive to the immersion of the generator into Water for inaugurating the generation of gas, means for immediately thereafter cutting off the communication between the outside and the interior of the generaton and means for sub sequently continuing the production of gas independent of the outside conditions.

'9. The process of generating gas in an immersible generator, which consists in first introducing a small quantity of Water into the generator and mixing it With a fuel to form a gas, then cutting oil" the Water so supplied, causing the temperature to increase, and then feeding an additional supply of Water independent of outside conditions responsive to the increase in temperature.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses this 26th day of March 1917.

FEELING C. FOSTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, 1). C. 

